How to Make the Taskbar Smaller in Windows 11: Your Easy Aussie Guide

Shinking the Windows 11 taskbar isn’t exactly tricky, but yeah, it does mean diving into the Registry—fair warning. If you’re after more screen space or just reckon a sleeker look suits you, this should do the trick. No worries, just keep in mind—messing with the registry isn’t exactly user-friendly, so follow the steps carefully and back everything up first.

How to Make the Taskbar Smaller in Windows 11

The idea is: you tweak a setting in the registry that controls the taskbar size. Kinda weird, as Windows doesn’t have a built-in slider for it, so registry editing’s the way to go. It’s pretty safe if you don’t go too nuts, but always back up just in case. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

Hit the Windows key, type regedit, then click on the Registry Editor icon. Fair dinkum—this tool’s powerful. If you go mucking around and stuff up, things can go a bit sideways, so don’t go deleting stuff randomly.

Once it’s open, you’ll see a big folder tree on the left. That’s where the magic happens.

Step 2: Navigate to the right key

Follow this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. To save time, you can copy this into the address bar in regedit, or just click through folders like a true blue.

Step 3: Create a new DWORD value called “TaskbarSi”

Right-click on the Advanced folder, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it TaskbarSi. Some folks might already have it there, but if not, this is how you add it.

Step 4: Set the value to 0 for a smaller taskbar

Double-click on the TaskbarSi entry, then change the Value data to 0. That tells Windows to put the taskbar into “small mode”. If you set it to 1 or 2, you’ll get the default or larger icons—so have a bit of a fiddle to see what looks best.

Not entirely sure why it works, but on one machine, setting it to 0 shrank the bar right away. On another, I had to reboot twice before it stuck, so have a bit of patience.

Step 5: Restart your PC

To see the change, you’ll need to restart. Sometimes, logging out then back in might do the trick, but a full reboot’s the safest bet. After that, your taskbar should be smaller and give you more space to breathe. Plus, it’ll look a bit tidier on the desktop.

Of course, Windows made this a bit more complicated than it needed—no checkbox, just registry fiddling. If it didn’t work, double-check you followed every step exactly—typos in the registry path are a common headache.

Tips for Making the Taskbar Smaller in Windows 11

• Back up the registry before you start—better safe than sorry.
• Make sure you’re navigating to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
• Use TaskbarSi for the value name. Set it to 0 for small, 1 for usual size, and 2 for larger icons.
• Don’t forget to restart after changing the value—Windows doesn’t always pick up settings instantly.
• If things still look weird, double-check your registry path and the value—you might’ve missed a detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the taskbar smaller without diving into the registry?

Not really—Windows doesn’t have an in-built slider or toggle for this. You’ll need to go through the registry or try third-party tweaks (but be careful with those).

Is it safe to muck about with the registry?

Mostly, yeah—just back everything up first. In regedit, click File > Export and save a copy. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore it.

What if nothing changes after reboot?

Double-check the TaskbarSi value—you might’ve made a typo or set the wrong number. Sometimes, Windows needs a proper shutdown and restart—not just a quick logoff—to grab the change.

Will shrinking the taskbar mess with my icons or notifications?

Nope, it’s just a size tweak. The icons and notifications will stay the same, it’s purely a visual change.

How do I put it back to normal?

Set TaskbarSi back to 1 and restart. The default size will come back, and you can pick up where you left off.

Summary

• Open Registry Editor (regedit).
• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
• Create or edit TaskbarSi as a DWORD value.
• Set it to 0 for small, 1 for regular, or 2 for bigger icons.
• Reboot and enjoy a more streamlined taskbar.

Hopefully, this’ll save you a bit of hassle. Smaller taskbar, less clutter, more space for what you really care about. Cheers!